The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved construction of an elevatable firing weapon provided with a device for setting the elevation of the weapon barrel of the firing weapon.
In its more particular aspects, the present invention relates to a new and improved construction of elevatable firing weapon provided with a device for setting the elevation of the weapon barrel. This elevation setting or fixing device comprises two parts or components, namely a cylinder and a piston or piston member. The piston or piston member subdivides or partitions the cylinder into two chambers or compartments. One of the two parts is pivotably mounted at the weapon barrel, while the other of the two parts is pivotably mounted at a stationary weapon or gun mount or mounting. These two parts move relative to one another when the weapon barrel is elevated.
A power or force transmission device of the aforementioned type for setting the inclination of a weapon barrel is known, for example, from the German Published Patent Application No. 2,424,795, published Dec. 19, 1974 of the Swedish firm Bofors Ltd. This known device comprises a cylinder pivotably mounted at a weapon barrel and a piston pivotably mounted at a weapon mount or mounting by means of a piston rod. The displacement of the piston in the cylinder for raising or lowering, i.e. for elevating the weapon barrel, is effected by means of hydraulic oil. There is provided a second pressure medium of high compressibility, for example, a gas, which is located in a chamber of the cylinder. This second pressure medium or gas has a minimum volume in the lowered position of the weapon barrel and a maximum volume in the uppermost position of the weapon barrel. The entrapped gas thus functions as a compensating spring for counteracting the overload caused by the bearing at the weapon mounting.
Such a device is only necessary for weapon barrels in which the center of gravity of the weapon barrel is not located at the axis of elevation, thereby causing an overload. For weapons, in which the axis of elevation passes exactly through the center of gravity of the weapon barrel, there is no need for such a device. However, in such a weapon, the weapon barrel is very easily pivoted or tilted about its axis of elevation and the danger therefore exists, that the weapon barrel aimed or layed at a predetermined target can be unintentionally again pivoted or tilted and therefore no longer aimed or layed at the desired target. In such a weapon it is therefore necessary to fix or lock the weapon barrel which has been pivoted or tilted to the desired elevation. Clamping devices are therefore customary, by means of which the weapon barrel can be fixed or locked in the desired position by turning a bolt or screw. However, such clamping devices are complicated to operate and hardly reliable when the bolts or screws are insufficiently or inadequately tightened.